Techstars is looking to return to Toronto, two years after it paused programming amid the departure of long-serving managing director Sunil Sharma.
According to a December LinkedIn post, the global, early-stage technology startup accelerator and investor is recruiting for âa new chapterâ in Toronto. In the post, Techstars Toronto indicated that over the coming months, its board of directors is building a team to lead the acceleratorâs Toronto operations.
That begins with a new managing director, a position that Techstars Toronto is currently accepting applications for. The organization wrote that it is seeking a leader âwhoâs deeply rooted in the [Greater Toronto Area] and knows how to build, invest, scale, and push early-stage companies from momentum to true lift-off.â
âToronto is one of the most diverse and globally connected innovation hubs in the world,â states the LinkedIn post. âThe city is home to world-class founders, world-class talent, and world-class ambition. What it needs now is a program designed in Toronto, for the GTA, powered by the global reach and resources of Techstars.â
âWhat [Toronto] needs now is a program designed in Toronto, for the GTA, powered by the global reach and resources of Techstars.â
Techstars Torontoâs board of directors
Speaking on behalf of the board, member Matt McGowan told BetaKit on Tuesday, a day after this article was originally published, that Techstars Toronto is currently reviewing managing director candidates and completing fund formation. He said it plans to announce an application timeline once it finalizes these two elements.
âWe are all deeply invested in the GTA and our country in general and putting programs like this to market feels like the right thing to do to build Canada,â McGowan said.
McGowan said the revived program will be financed by Techstarsâ global platform and a group of local limited partners. âThis model is designed to be sustainable and to combine international reach with strong local institutional and ecosystem support,â he added.
Techstars offers three-month accelerator programming for startups in more than 30 cities around the world. Last year, Techstars increased its typical investment amount from $120,000 USD to $220,000 USD ($305,000 CAD), taking an equity stake in participating companies, and providing them with mentorship and access to its vast global network. It claims to be the worldâs most active pre-seed investor.
This announcement comes two years after Techstars made significant changes to its overall operations and strategy, shutting down some of its accelerators and moving its corporate headquarters as part of a renewed focus on some of the worldâs largest tech ecosystems.
At the time, BetaKit reported that Techstars Toronto ceased accepting new applications, paused its accelerator programming, and Sharma transitioned away from the accelerator, leaving its long-term future in the city uncertain.
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Since its launch in 2017, Techstars Toronto has supported and backed a variety of Canadian tech startups, from Balance to Captain AI, Cinchy, Fable, Inkblot, KitchenMate, and Tread. In 2023, it celebrated 100 direct investments into Canadian and international companies.
Now, Techstars Toronto is charting its return under the leadership of a revamped board that includes McGowan, who is also senior VP of business solutions at Bell, Dejana Dua, who leads ventureLABâs HardTech Investor Network and Capital Programs, Peoples Group chief client officer William Keliehor, Axion Fund venture partner Mellie Chow, and Math Venture Partners managing director Troy Henikoff.
McGowan said Techstars Torontoâs board and leadership structure have been rebuilt âto ensure the program is aligned with the specific challenges and opportunities facing Canadian startups today,â from capital efficiency to global expansion, and deep tech commercialization.
As to how this new program will compare to the previous iteration of Techstars Toronto, McGowan said, âthe most meaningful shift is toward a homegrown leadership and governance model focused on long-term ecosystem development.â
CLARIFICATION (01/20/26): This story has been updated to include commentary from Techstars Torontoâs board and additional details on its plans for the revived accelerator program, and to clarify that since 2025, Techstars has been investing $220,000 USD per company, not its previous amount of $120,000 USD as the earlier article stated.
Feature image courtesy Techstars Toronto.